System and method of capturing geothermal heat from within a drilled well to generate electricity
AssigneePardev, LLC
InventorMichael J. Parrella
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed-loop, solid-state system generates electricity from geothermal heat from a well by flow of heat, without needing large quantities of water to conduct heat from the ground. The present invention contemplates uses for depleted oil or gas wells and newly drilled wells to generate electricity in an environmentally-friendly method. Geothermal heat is conducted from the Earth to a heat exchanging element to heat the contents of pipes. The pipes are insulated between the bottom of the well and the surface to minimize heat dissipation as the heated contents of the pipes travel to the surface.
Claims36
A system for generating electricity using geothermal heat from within a drilled well, comprising:
- a heat nest configured in an area between a heat point determined as a lowest depth where appropriate heat is encountered in a well and the bottom of a bore hole of the well;
- multiple bore holes being drilled into rock surrounding the heat nest configured to create more surface area through which geothermal energy may flow, the multiple bore holes being drilled in multiple directions, including drilled vertically, horizontally, diagonally or any angle, in relation to the bore hole of the well and being filled with heat conductive material;
- a heat exchanging element configured with a first side and a second side, and configured in the heat nest at a point between the heat point of the well and the bottom of the bore hole of the well;
- a piping system configured with a downward flow pipe coupled to the first side of the heat exchanging element for bringing contents from a surface of the well into the heat nest and configured with an upward flow pipe coupled to the second side of the heat exchanging element for carrying heated contents to the surface of the well from the heat nest;
- a heat conductive material injected into an area within the heat nest near the bottom of the well between the heat exchanging element and rock surrounding the heat nest to form a closed-loop, solid state heat exchange system to heat contents of the piping system flowing into and out of the heat exchanging element at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat it is conducting to the heat conductive material and above which the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material conducts heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element, the heat conductive material connecting the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element, the heat conductive material solidifying to substantially fill the area within the heat nest to transfer heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest and the heat exchanging element;
- an electricity generating component including a thermal engine, the electricity generating component receiving geothermal heat from the contents of the piping system coupling a heat harnessing component to the electricity generating component, with the upward-flow pipe conveying the contents of the piping system heated by the heat exchanging element to the surface of the well and into the electricity generating component;
- and
- insulation inserted into the well and to surround at least the upward- flow pipe on at least one position between the heat nest and the surface of the well to maintain a temperature of the contents of the piping system constant as the contents of the piping system are pumped to the surface of the well,
- wherein the closed-loop solid state heat extraction system extracts geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow.
A method of generating electricity using geothermal heat from within a drilled well, comprising:
- determining a type of rock at a depth of a well, a surface area of the rock at the depth of the well, and a heat conductivity factor of the rock at the depth of the well;
- increasing the surface area of the rock at a desired point in the well between a heat point of the well and a bottom of the well;
- forming a heat nest within the well beginning at the bottom of the well and ending at the heat point of the well;
- drilling multiple bore holes into rock surrounding the heat nest configured to create more surface area through which geothermal energy may flow, the multiple bore holes being drilled in multiple directions, including drilled vertically, horizontally, diagonally or any angle, in relation to the bore hole of the well and being filled with heat conductive material;
- injecting a heat conductive material between the rock surrounding the heat nest and a heat exchanging element having a first side and a second side to form a closed-loop solid-state heat extraction system to exchange heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element to heat contents of a piping system flowing from a downward flow pipe into the first side of the heat exchanging element and flowing from the second side of the heat exchanging element into an upward flow pipe at an equilibrium temperature at which the rock surrounding the heat nest and generating the geothermal heat continually recoups the geothermal heat by exchanging with the heat conductive material and above said temperature the geothermal heat generated by the rock surrounding the heat nest dissipates as the heat conductive material exchanges heat from the rock surrounding the heat nest to the heat exchanging element;
- insulating the piping system between the heat nest and a surface of the well;
- and
- pumping the heated contents of the piping system into an electricity generating component after the heated contents of the piping system reaches the surface of the well, wherein the closed-loop solid state heat extraction system extracts geothermal heat from the well without exposing the rock surrounding the heat nest to a liquid flow.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.